The Rising(73)
Reverend Billy stopped again. The plaintiveness that had ridden his voice like a saddle had spread into his expression, making him look sad and a bit desperate. Sam wondered on what street corner he’d be found today, peddling his free Bibles to anyone who passed and preaching to those who lingered about the meaning of his tattooed knuckles. Then he’d pack up and resume the process somewhere else tomorrow, the cycle continuing with the record player needle stuck scratchily in place.
He resumed speaking, his voice hoarse and cracked with sadness. “I think we’re gonna get what’s coming to us and the simple fact of the matter is, based on what I’ve seen, Armageddon is the least of our problems.”
73
ALL FREE TOMORROW
REVEREND BILLY DROPPED THEM in the parking lot fronting a Buy Two store in a Daly City shopping center south of the downtown San Francisco area, Sam far more unnerved by his quiet rants than Alex.
“You’re shivering,” Alex noted, rubbing Sam’s arms, the gooseflesh prickling the surface.
She loved his touch but it made her feel no warmer. “Tell me that guy didn’t scare the hell out of you too.”
“I was too busy holding my nose. You wanna talk about scary? Try sitting next to him.”
“I’d rather not,” Sam said, watching Reverend Billy’s van shrink away down the road before disappearing altogether.
“The guy was harmless. Didn’t touch my knee or reach for something higher, nothing like that.”
“No offense, pretty boy, but he was looking at me, not you.”
“That was my hand on your knee, not his,” Alex quipped as they walked toward the Buy Two store, called that since buying two items got you a third, lower-priced one for free. No exceptions.
“Well, that’s a relief, anyway.”
They entered the store together to the sound of canned music piped in just under the sound of a happy voice singing out the praises of today’s specials, which featured no-name jeans to go with no-name shirts, shoes, and underwear. A huge banner, a bit worn and discolored by the sun, hung over the alcove entry, reading, ALL FREE TOMORROW.
“Too bad it’s not today,” Alex mused, digging a hand through his pockets.
“So let’s come back tomorrow, like the sign says. Catch ourselves in a vicious cycle where it’s never really today.” Sam’s features flattened. “Oh, man, I sound like Reverend Billy.”
“So long as you don’t smell like him,” Alex said, passing under the ALL FREE TOMORROW sign to enter the store.
*
Adding up all their cash, Sam’s and what Dr. Payne had tucked away in his jeans, came to a grand total of sixty-one dollars. Thanks to the Buy Two store’s mantra, that was enough for a change of clothes for each of them and some food with twenty bucks maybe left over. They filtered through the clothes piles in search of a decent enough fit.
“Be nice if we knew exactly where Laboratory Z was located,” Alex said suddenly.
“Well, we’ve got a general location.”
“San Ramon’s spread out over a pretty wide area.”
“Any other clues you can remember?”
“Horses and cattle.”
“Huh?”
“As a kid, I overheard my parents talking about it a few times—at least, I think that’s what they were talking about. Anyway, for some reason I remember horses and cattle.”
“So we’re looking for a farm?” Sam said, laying a decent enough pair of jeans aside.
“I didn’t say that.”
“No, you said horses and cattle. Maybe Laboratory Z was located near a farm or something, or a ranch. Maybe that’s what you remember.” She looked across the stacks of clothes at him. “This place is right on a bus route. We can get to San Ramon with only a couple transfers. Man, I hope my car’s okay.…”
He grinned, started to chuckle.
“Hey, what’s so funny?”
“The way you said that.”
“Said what?”
“About your car. Hoping it’s okay.”
“Well, I do.”
They steered the cart holding their selections to the food aisles next, starting in the section vaguely labeled “Nutrition.”
“Wow, you meant what you said about PowerBars,” Sam noted, as Alex dumped a handful of boxes in atop their clothes. “Six boxes?”
“We only have to pay for four, remember? And I went with the generic brand.”
“Right, a real sacrifice.”
“Come on,” he said, holding up one of the boxes. “Food fit for an astronaut.”
“All we need is some Tang to wash it down.”
“Tang?”
“Never mind,” Sam told him.
At the checkout line, both their eyes drifted to the prepaid cell phone offerings while waiting their turn. The best deal was $9.95 for a cheap, knockoff smart phone offering unlimited talk, text, and Web for the first week at that introductory price.
“You should call your parents.”
“We already went over this.”
“They’ll be worried sick.”
“I just want them to be safe and sound when I get home.”
Alex pushed their cart forward and back again. Two more carts had piled in the checkout line behind theirs, the woman currently at the front paying for her purchases out of a quarter jar, taking forever.